


Mistakes Made

by AddedOC



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Betrayal, Drabble, Drama, Friendship, Incomplete, Literally just posting for advice, Love Story, Love Triangles, Manipulation, Mystery, Secrets, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 05:25:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16235057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AddedOC/pseuds/AddedOC
Summary: This story starts out basically the same as the common route in the game but I switch it up a bit afterwards. I am only posting what I have written here for now to see if anyone is interested in reading more. If so it will be broken up into actual chapter lengths and posted again. Let me know what you think in comments and leave some love if you like it. I am also looking for a beta if at all possible, not many people I know play and read Mystic Messenger and I am quite new to the fandom myself.Much Love;Ad





	Mistakes Made

“With the up and coming hit, the star of musical theater may find himself expanding to the big screen within the next year…”

 

“The reports of C&R’s stock rising is only to be expected as the company expands to offer new services, as well as opening up to the possibility of offering a brand-new line of products for your feline friends…”

 

“Lololol has new DLC coming soon! Gather your forces now and achieve success with an all new armor set!”

 

Maria Charlotte, known simply as MC to her friends and family, let out a soft sigh as she stepped past the last screen, now all she had to do was board the train and ride it for an uncomfortable thirty minutes until she reached the new city. Moving on from living with her family had been a hard decision, but after graduation she couldn’t find a job in her hometown. In the end the only job offer she received had come from two towns over, far from the home she knew and the family she loved. It would be hard, living on her own for the first time in her life. She was sure she wouldn’t take care of herself like an adult should, even as she assured everyone she would. It was only rational, she was still in her early twenties, barely out of school, not fully ready to take on adulting quite yet.

 

“I am on my way~ just had to stop to pick up a new controller after class.” MC stepped to the side as a blond made his way past her, talking quickly on the phone. “No I just grabbed some ramen, I didn’t have time to cook this morning after the raid last night.” He ignored her glance as he grabbed onto the railing to remain standing as the train began to move once again. Just one more stop and she would be in the city, and begin her new life.

 

MC leaned against the pole that she gripped in her hand, another sigh escaped her as she thought once again over her move. It would have to be a quick one, the job was due to start in two days which didn’t spare much time to get accustomed to her new surroundings. Her things would come in a day, which meant really that she only had a single day to explore the city. It was daunting, but MC would have to make do until she had more free time in her schedule.

 

Her phone dinged, pulling her attention to her purse as she rummaged through it for the device. She narrowed her brows as she looked at the screen. Blackness only broken by lines of green numbers and text. She furrowed her brow, tapping the screen with her finger as the confusion built inside her head. She didn’t have much downloaded on her phone, it was a brand new one after all, and she could think of no app that would open itself and look like that. At most she had a special calendar app and a few mindless games that she found the day before.

 

With one final tap, a loud buzzer sent her jumping in surprise. It wasn’t her phone though, it was the signaling sound that the train had come to a full stop. The blonde, who was still on his phone, stepped past her quickly and disappeared into the crowd even before her feet touched the tiled floor outside of the train doors. She frowned at her phone as she weaved her way through the tightly packed bodies. The screen hadn’t changed, even pressing the home button did nothing, it remained black with scrolling green numbers and text.

 

“What the…” She muttered as she waited for the traffic light to turn red so she could cross. Beside her, a woman with short brunette hair wearing a very sharp business suit complete with a pencil skirt was muttering softly to herself as she tapped away at her phone.

 

“...saving to the Zen folder…” MC quirked her brow at the woman’s words but chose not to say anything as the white cross man flashed on the sign before her. She crossed the street quickly and glanced around herself, still tapping on her phone screen and hoping that something would change due to her efforts. Perhaps the phone was broken, after only having it for a short while the thought made her pout pitifully.

 

When her phone did change, it made her nearly jump out of her skin. There was no difference in the black and green background, but sitting before it was a single message.

 

Unknown:

...Hello…?

 

MC paused in her steps, her eyes locked on the message that had appeared on her phone. There was a simple looking text bar below it that showed her she could reply, but she wasn’t sure what to say or who she was even talking to. She decided, after a long moment of debate, to reply to it in the best way to show her sheer confusion.

 

MC:

?

 

It didn’t take long for a reply to come through, she was half expecting it to say something along the lines of ‘oh sorry, wrong number’ or for it to be an ad of some kind on a game that accidentally opened that was just simply slow loading. What she didn’t expect was for the message to read out:

 

Unknown:

Can you see this?

 

Could she see it? She glanced around herself quickly. The street was packed with people coming and going, many with their eyes locked on their phones paying her no mind. There was a white haired delinquent looking guy standing across the street from her, she thought for a moment he could be messing with her. He did look her way for a moment before turning and saying something to a group of people who looked like his friends. The group laughed before moving on with him walking calmly along with them. The sight caused her to let out a soft sigh followed by an even softer huff as she reprimanded herself for suspecting someone based on looks alone.

 

Her bottom lip slipped between her teeth as she turned her attention back to the phone in her hands.

 

MC:

Who are you?

 

Unknown:

I’m sure you’re surprised.

 

_You don’t know the half of it._ She thought as she read the message. MC now leaned against the wall of a nearby shop as she tapped her thumbnail against her chin, who was this person?

 

Unknown:

**It’s not everyday you get a text from a stranger.**

 

That was true at least. She shrugged her shoulders as she read over the message the stranger sent her. This definitely was no ad, but what was it? Did she download a weird messenger app and not remember it? It was a possibility with how hectic her life had become.

 

Unknown:

I’m a bit flustered myself.

I found a smartphone at the subway station,

but all it had on it was this messenger app.

 

She wasn’t even sure how she got the app herself, so she could feel a bit of commonality with the stranger. However, that didn’t change the fact that it was still a stranger messaging her, or the fact that no matter how she tried she couldn’t seem to leave the chat room that now dominated the screen of her phone. As if sensing her unease at these facts, the stranger sent her rapid fire messages.

 

Unknown:

I want to find the owner,

but I don’t see any contact info or call records…

I’ve been sending messages with this app but no reply…

All I see is and address and some important-looking numbers saved in notes.

I’d like to go there myself but I’m currently abroad…

 

She felt her brows pull tightly together over her narrowed eyes. What in the world did this have to do with her? And more importantly…

 

MC:

First… who are you?

That simple question unleashed another wave of rapid fire messages.

 

Unknown:

**Me? Oh sorry. I didn’t even introduce myself.**

 

Unknown:

I’m just a student studying abroad. I’m Korean.

 

Unknown:

I could tell you my name, but it doesn’t really matter.

 

Unknown:

You won’t find me on search engines ^^.

 

Unknown:

But, anyways..

 

Unknown:

Can you help me find the owner of this phone?

 

Unknown:

I know you’re surprised to have someone suddenly pop up and ask you a favor like this.

 

Unknown:

But still…

 

Unknown:

**I’d appreciate it if you could help.**

 

She frowned and glanced around herself once more, someone had to be messing with her. She could understand someone texting their own phone to get it back, that was normal. But, someone texting random strangers to get a phone to its owner then begging the strangers to help randomly… it was strange.

 

MC:

Why should I help you?

 

Once more, though she took her time to reply, she didn’t have to wait long for one in return.

 

Unknown:

Since you’re the only clue I have.

 

She only had enough time to consider the fact that their statement made no sense at all before another message popped up.

 

Unknown:

I’ve been trying to find the owner with this phone. But I didn’t find any clues until now.

 

“I’m not exactly a clue…” She grumbled as she looked up at the ever darkening sky. As she was watching a cloud lazily make its way across it and pondering the strangers words a few more messages followed.

 

Unknown:

I would really like to find the owner.

 

Unknown:

_Then God will be happy._

 

Unknown:

Oh! Sorry I didn’t mention it before. I’m religious.

 

She sucked in a long breath and let it out through puffed cheeks. MC didn’t care if this stranger was religious. She did wonder if she was talking to a guy or a girl though, the messages screamed guy at her though she wasn’t quite sure why.

 

Unknown:

Never mind what I just said. I’m sorry if I weirded you out.

 

The message made her very aware that her nose was snarled up and her lips were twisted in confusion. Once more she looked around herself nervously and once more she couldn’t see anyone suspicious when she did so.

 

Unknown:

**Can you please help me? I’ll make it up to you if I get to go back to Korea.**

 

The word ‘if’ is what caused her eyebrow to raise suspiciously. How did this ‘Unknown’ plan on returning the phone if there was a chance they wouldn’t return. The thought caused her stomach to twist into knots. Something was wrong here.

 

Unknown:

It’s really a safe place. If you feel unsafe, you can turn around.

 

Unknown:

I know the area. It’s developed.

 

She shook her head. This had to be some creep looking to either get a cheap laugh from her, get her into some sort of trouble, or worse. She didn’t want to think of everything that fell under the worse option. Her hands moved to her purse and she was in the middle of popping the button that held the bag together when another message had her phone vibrating against her palm.

 

Unknown:

Please?

 

She snorted to herself as she stared at the request. Without knowing who this person was, they expected her just to jump to their request and go to a place that she still didn’t know?

 

MC:

No. You’re creepy.

 

As soon as she hit send she regretted it. Yes she was uncomfortable by the entire situation, but still this person’s intentions could be pure. Her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth once again as she pondered what she had sent, for the first time it took the stranger a bit longer to reply to her.

 

Unknown:

Creepy? …^^;;

 

Unknown:

I’m not a creep.

 

Unknown:

Haven’t you ever heard of the saying ‘you get a treat if you listen to older men’...?

 

She frowned at the last message. So it was a guy, her hunch was correct, but what made him think that he was older than her?

 

MC:

No;;

 

As she typed, she had to shift to avoid a couple walking past her. The girl was giggling at something the much older man had said and he seemed pleased by it if his smirk was anything to go off of. They were both in clothes that she would never be able to afford, and looking very much out of place among the crowds of common people that she added to the numbers of.

 

Unknown:

Sorry. I was just kidding ^^;;;  


Unknown:

Anyways…

 

So this guy was just playing with her? She huffed as soon as she read the message and prepared to put her phone away once again.

 

Unknown:

I know I’m asking too much.

 

Unknown:

You might think I’m odd.

 

Unknown:

… I am a bit odd to be honest.

 

“You got that right.” She grumbled, earning a few stares as she began to walk once again. She had to get to her new home before the sun set, the thought of fumbling through her new neighborhood with no idea where to go had her palms sweating.

 

Unknown:

But would you consider it? I’m talking to you right now.

Two complete strangers at two completely different places… It’s a miracle we’ve connected.

 

She pouted. If his words were to be believed, then that was true as well.

 

Unknown:

No one responded to my messages. You’re the first one.

 

Upon reading that, she had slight regret for replying to the guy in the first place.

 

Unknown:

I don’t know how we got connected…

 

She was unsure of that herself.

 

Unknown:

But maybe this was meant to be?

 

Immediately after that message she was looking at a picture of a male, near her own age it seemed, with soft brown hair and very pretty green eyes. He was wearing a flannel and smiling slightly at the camera when the picture was taken. The background appeared to be a city but was a bit too blurry to make out specific buildings. She admitted to herself that he looked cute, in fact this guy looked like he could be a part of a boy band or a dance group, with just enough youthful innocence in his face to have her wondering if she could know more.

 

Unknown:

That is me in the photo.

 

She hovered her thumbs over the screen, pondering if she should comment on her thoughts of his looks while struggling with the fact that just a picture shouldn’t assure her that the boy in the picture was the one she was talking to.

 

Unknown:

Maybe this will make you less suspicious…?

 

Unknown:

I’m returning to Korea soon, so I’ll definitely make it up to you.

 

This brought a confused frown to her lips. He had gone from ‘if’ to he will be returning soon awfully quickly. The messenger allowed her to scroll up through the messages and it was definitely there. The word ‘If’ had made her wary in the beginning, now the lack of it was producing the same emotion within her.

 

Unknown:

If you feel unsafe near the place, you can just delete the app.

 

Unknown:

Please, I’m begging you.

 

There was that word again. Please. She stared at her phone in disbelief for a moment before running her fingers through her fringe and letting out a long irritated sigh. She didn’t want to get involved. She didn’t want to follow along with this random person's game. She absolutely hated the thought of being played like some mindless puppet.

 

She also hated the thought of being rude, or not helping someone in need. Her parents raised her and her siblings to be polite and kind to others and though she felt a tangled ball of nervousness building in her stomach, she knew that she would succumb to being a polite and helpful person in the end. May as well get it over with.

 

MC:

Alright… I’m returning asap if something seems strange.

 

Immediately he responded in another rapid fire assault of messages.

 

Unknown:

Thank you!

 

Unknown:

Then I’ll send you the address.

 

Unknown:

Now how do you do that…

 

Unknown:

Found it.

 

The address link took her to a GPS sort of thing, It showed the lines and squares marking the streets and buildings around her, with a small blue dot to indicate herself and a blinking red dot to indicate the place he wanted her to go. It wasn’t far, it wasn’t even out of her way. She knew that she would at the very least pass by the building on her way to her own new apartment.

 

The walk there was… awkward. The strange boy didn’t message her at all as she made her way to the large apartment building. People cast her odd glances as she walked and she ignored them the best she could by keeping her eyes on the screen of her phone. The building looked nice enough, large and clean with windows lining three sides of it. There was an address bar on the app, telling her that her destination rested on the fifth floor of the building. It looked like a nice building, humbling-ly nice. As she stepped up to the front doors she prayed that she wouldn’t run into a doorman or security.

 

The inside was even nicer than the outside, with air conditioning that blew her hair back behind her as she stepped through the double front doors. Finely upholstered chairs and couches lined the lobby and a staircase wound its way up to a loft area above. At the very top of the stairs rested a pair of elevators that would take her up even further. On top of that, the inside of the apartment building lacked anyone else. The nice front room, the elevator, the hallway on the fifth floor, they were all empty. She made it all the way to the door of the apartment without running into another soul, so it was almost relieving to her when her phone pinged and took her back to the messenger app.

 

Unknown:

Are you there? ^^ See. Nothing strange.

 

She didn’t even think of how strange it was that he would know as soon as she stepped up to the door.   
She smiled at the message as if she was talking to an old friend.

 

Unknown:

Is there a password lock on the door?

 

She glanced at the keypad above the handle to the door. It certainly seemed like a password lock.

 

MC:

Yes.

 

His reply was quick once again.

 

Unknown:

I’ll send you the digits. Try it.

 

Below that was a long set of numbers that even at a glance made her wonder how whoever lived there ever remembered their pass-code. Perhaps that’s why it was saved in their phone after all. Her finger hovered over the keypad, it shook a bit as she studied the numbers before her hand fell back to her side for a moment. It felt wrong to just walk into someone else's home.

 

MC:

...Shouldn’t I ring the doorbell first?

 

Unknown:

Hmm. You’re right!

 

Unknown:

Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight.

 

Unknown:

Then ring the doorbell.

 

She felt her lips pulling into a smile once again. He really seemed to be just a normal flustered guy who wanted to return a phone to it’s proper owner. She looked up at the door for only a moment before turning her gaze back to the phone, almost expecting him to message her again. When no message came she reached up and knocked lightly upon the wood. After a moment of waiting in silence it became clear to her that no one was home. Maybe the whole building was abandoned?

 

MC:

I don’t think anyone’s inside…

 

Even she wasn’t sure if she meant the apartment or the building in general.

 

Unknown:

Hmm. No choice then.

I guess the place is empty.

 

Unknown:

Why don’t you press the code?

 

Still unsure if she made the right decision, she stared at the keypad. It looked so professional and terrifying that she wanted to just turn and walk away. A feeling grew on the back of her neck, a tingling hair raising feeling of being watched by someone she couldn’t see. The thought that she would be lying to the guy if she left now had her squirming, she hated the thought of lying to anyone after all. With another soft sigh, she came to her final decision.

 

MC:

Uhm… Okay. I will.

 

Unknown:

Good.

 

Even as he sent his reply, she began to type in the long string of numbers that rested at the top of her phone screen. When the last digit was entered a green light blinked above the handle and the door opened itself slightly, just enough for her to peek in and see a bit of the dust covered apartment beyond. The edge of a computer chair peeked into her line of sight, and a hallway that seemed to lead into a kitchen rested beyond it.

 

MC:

The door’s open.

 

Unknown:

Good. Why don’t you go inside?

 

She hesitated, he made it sound as if he was asking her if she could check to see if it was dark outside for him, not at all like he was asking her to break and enter into a strangers home, a stranger to both of them.

 

MC:

Can I just enter a stranger’s house?

 

That was the question. She stood outside the opened door and could see that it had been empty for a very long time. But, was it right to just go in? She came so far for this stranger but, her nerves were beginning to get to her and the fear that something bad would happen if she stepped past the door rose goosebumps on her skin.

 

Unknown:

You can just leave a note. I’ll give you my info.

 

Unknown:

If something happens, you can just show my messages. That’ll do.

 

He was willing to take all the heat, if she happened to be arrested for going in there then she would have a great reason and he would be the one being looked for. If that was him in the picture that is. She would be let off the hook more than likely, and given a warning about following along with someone she only talked to over a messenger app.

 

MC:

Then… Alright.

 

Unknown:

Th

 

Unknown:

ank

 

Unknown:

You***

 

His response brought a smile to her lips. She hadn’t seen someone write it out in that way before and she thought of it as cute. Her phone was returned to her purse before she rested one hand on the door frame and gently pushed the door open the rest of the way. To the left rested a clear topped desk with a computer and a red swivel chair. To the right a couch sat facing a TV that was so covered in dust it looked grey rather than black as many plasma screens were designed. The hall did open into a kitchen, and from where she stood she could clearly make out a stove by a window and the edge of a fridge peeking around the corner of the kitchen doorway. All in all it was a nice space, a bit musty with stale air that told her she was the first one to open the door in a long while, but it was nice. Open and upscale, she could only imagine who lived there before it was abandoned.

 

She didn’t have long to look around before her phone dinged again. Thinking it was Unknown, possibly telling her something he forgot, she reached into her purse and pulled it out. Once the screen was turned on she could tell it was not Unknown right away, even before glancing at the messages. The background was a gradient of purple to blue, lacking any green numbers or letters scrolling down constantly. The messages themselves were flashing by so quickly she almost couldn’t keep up. One boy who was blonde in his profile picture was complaining about college life, she could relate, while the others were all either comforting him or telling him off for acting how he was. They seemed a close knit group, but why was she suddenly thrust into their chat.

 

707:

WAIT!

 

His message came in a bubble that looked like an explosion to her, that was the only reason that she even noticed something was up.

 

707:

**Think someone entered the chat room;;**

 

She began to panic at the sight of the message. He had just alerted the others to her presence while she was attempting to find a way to leave their chat. Who was this 707 guy to tell everyone about her? She hadn’t even said anything to them. She hadn’t even said hello and yet they were now all talking about her. The business man seemed extremely upset and called for his assistants attention while the others were asking this 707 about her. The assumption that she was a simple error had her flabbergasted, though she guessed since she was being a lurker to the chat it was to be expected. With a steadying breath, she replied.

 

MC:

Hello…

 

Yoosung:

**Gahhhh it’s talking!!!!**

 

Zen:

So it’s not two smartphones.

 

Jumin Han:

Who is it?

 

Yoosung:

Find out what it is!

Jaehee Kang:

How did you find out about this place? Where did you download the application?

 

So many questions were thrown at her that it made her head spin. She was struggling to think of how to answer them in the clearest way when 707 decided to disclose the information he had gathered. He traced her IP apparently, she had no idea how that worked but it told him that she was in the apartment of someone named Rika.

 

At least she knew the name of the phone owner now.

 

Now they were hacking to find out who she was? What kind of chat room had she gotten into?

 

With bated breath she read the next few messages. Zen thought she was a fan of his but she wasn’t really, she didn’t even know what he was famous for. His comment prompted the one known as Jumin Han to post an adorable chibi emoji of his profile picture angry. She snorted despite herself and quickly typed out a reply before the barrage of messages could continue. It was like she was on autopilot, her body going through the motions while her mind was still in shock.

 

MC:

I am Maria Charlotte, but I go by MC. Who are you all and what is this place?

 

That got an ‘lol so awkward’ from the user 707, for whatever reason this made her frown and duck her head as if she could hide her discomfort from them. They were all introducing themselves now and not interrogating her, that was a good thing she supposed. Selfies and personal information like their jobs and relationships within the group were being shared, it was a bit overwhelming. They were still referring to her as an ‘it’ though, probably not as friendly as they let on. When she was asked in a roundabout way how she managed to get inside the apartment she answered as concisely as she could.

 

MC:

I came here while chatting with a person called ‘Unknown’. Do you know him by any chance?

 

That set the 707 off on a tangent, apparently being Unknown was impossible on the app. This led her to doubt it was this app that she had spoken to him on. 707 seemed adamant that no hacker could get into the chatroom after all. It was true, she was no hacker and she got in. The thought caused her to chuckle lightly.

 

707:

Hey, MC, So he told you the password for the door lock?

 

MC:

Yes.

 

This set everyone else off, asking questions and spouting theories. When she was asked how she got the app she couldn’t think of an answer so simply replied with the most obvious one.

 

MC:

Just got it @ app store…

 

Once again a barrage of messages she could barely follow, and a new name was thrown into the mix to top it all off. V.

 

MC:

Who’s V?

 

Apparently he ran the organization that the chat room was for, the RFA. They were talking quickly about V and Rika and what the RFA did, it made her head swim. So many emotions were bubbling up inside her that she wasn’t sure where to begin. She was growing more and more nervous, and embarrassed as the one known as 707 declared she was a cute girl. MC hid her face in one hand and let out a soft groan as she sat on the dust covered couch. This was becoming just too much. She explained she was just there to return a phone, which ultimately lead to 707 asking if they should explain to her in more detail, about the RFA and this Rika. When she asked for them to explain it was Zen and Yoosung who filled her in… a bit. The RFA organized parties for a charity of some kind apparently.

 

She was being recruited by the now leader herself, he explained to her that she wouldn’t even have to go somewhere else to help. She could do it all through the RFA app, which was what she was currently chatting with them all. It all seemed a little too good to be true. She went through each of their messages, each one leading to the ultimate question which wasn’t asked by V, who left shortly after joining, it was Jumin Han who sent it.

 

Jumin Han:

**MC will you join RFA?**

 

She thought about it for a moment as she glanced up to a blinking red light set into a black half sphere in the ceiling, a fire alarm she assumed based on the fact she could see one in the kitchen as well. Her back pressed into the cushion of the couch as she let out a slow even breath. Did she even want to join? They were using her name now at least, and not referring to her as an ‘it’. On top of that it didn’t look like they planned to call the authorities.

 

MC:

Alright. It looks fun. I’ll give it a go.

 

It felt like as soon as she accepted the offer she was being pulled into their ranks. There were a few concerned messages but most of them were positive. She watched as each of them said what was on their mind and then left the chat room, leaving her to stare blankly at the messages.

 

When she finally left the chat room and stood to explore what was, for all purposes, her new home, a loud chiming ringtone nearly made her jump out of her skin. She glanced down at the phone sitting on the couch and saw the profile picture of none other than 707 with his username flashing just above it on the screen. She could have declined the call, but curiosity won out as she lifted the device and tapped at the green icon below his image.

 

“...Hello…” She said awkwardly into the phone as she moved towards the kitchen.

 

“Rrrrrrrr. Rrrrrrrr.” Was the reply she received, she pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it, puzzled as to what he was doing. When the phone was returned to it, he continued. “Uhm, uh… you’re bank account has been used for a fun prank. Uh… were you aware of this? I must first verify your cell phone number for identification purposes, so please calmly follow the instructions.” She wanted to laugh, was he being serious? He sounded like someone who had never prank called someone in his life. After a split second of thought on the subject, she clicked into the mindset she always used around her older brother.

 

“Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed, perhaps a bit too theatrically. “What should I do??? Do you want me to press my number? Or should I tell you? What prank was it?” Even though she knew he couldn’t see her, she leaned against the counter of the kitchen dramatically and threw her arm over her eyes in a ‘whatever will I do?’ sort of way. There was a soft chuckle from his end of the phone, which softened her smile into one that she wouldn’t normally show. His chuckle was cute.

 

“My gullible… I mean, good customer, please calm down.” He began, pausing to correct himself along the way. “And take a deep breath. Breathe in - breathe out-!” She did as he instructed, being sure he could hear her over the phone and holding her laughter in to the best of her ability. “You must keep it together at a time like this. Now, if you’ve taken a deep breath-” She took another one a bit louder so he would hear that she had- “please go ahead and say ‘honey, I love you-!” she frowned at his words but he wasn’t done. “You know, like how the teddy bears say it.” Teddy bears- oh, she remembered now. She sniggered softly as she moved the phone from her ear once more to stop him from hearing her. Where her mind went when he told her what to say would be something, she promised herself, she would never discuss.

 

“Honey, I love you-” She said sweetly into the phone, just like one of the bears off of the old comercial. Her words were followed quickly by his laughter.

 

“Hahahaha, good job.” He praised through his chuckles. “Boy… you’re so cute.” She was stunned by these words but he was back in character now and continuing with the prank turned playful joking. “Now I will verify your phone number. Please tell me your number one by one. One- two-” She opened her mouth to speak when he suddenly shouted.

 

“....Stop!” the sound had her lips snapping closed once again. “You were about to tell me your number, weren’t you? You can’t do that! There are billions of scams like this going on right now!” the seriousness of his tone caused her to pause, it was just a joke wasn’t it? She was playing along. Besides, he called her so he obviously had her number already. “From now on, just hang up if you receive a call like this - period. And if you’re unsure whether it’s a scam, just call me okay? I’ll check for you even if I’m busy.” She smiled a bit at this, he was worried about her being scammed. It was, sort of sweet. “But…” he brought her thoughts back to the present as he continued, “with Rika’s apartment and all, you’re so gullible!! You shouldn’t fall for stupid things like this!” She wanted to rethort that she was just playing along because she knew it was him, but then again she didn’t really _know_ him so that was a moot point.

 

“I just called to check whether this is the right number. And you should be glad I was the one who called you. If this were real, a scary hacker could have taken all your money!” She had to admit his heart was in the right place at least, but he didn’t seem to understand she played along with him for fun, and wasn’t giving her an opening to correct him as he continued to quickly talk into the phone. “The moment you receive the call, you lose your money. Okay?” She rolled her eyes, this was becoming a lecture from basically a stranger, it was time to change that.

 

“Beep. Beep.” She attempted to sound as robotic as possible. “We have detected criminal activity on your account…”

 

“What?! You managed to get into a hacker’s account? That’s bold!!!” He picked up on the fact she was trying to pull the conversation back into a playful one and thankfully followed along. “But!!! I don’t really have a bank account. My boss told me cash was the best way to make money. Anyways, now that I checked your number. I’ll let the other members know!” He went on to explain about how the calls work through the app, she hadn’t even realized he called her through the app. He asked her to take care of the RFA and she gave a short affirmative noise in response. She still wasn’t sure about it after all. By the time he was saying goodbye to her his voice was back into its playful candor that it held when she first answered his call. She smiled as she placed her phone on the counter, happy to have a friendly conversation after everything that happened that day.

 

A few hours later she had the apartment cleaned, learned that her job wasn’t far away (which was a plus in her book as she would still need a source of income) and was throwing a load of dust filled clothes into the very nice washing machine when a thought struck her. Unknown had sent her there but then simply vanished after she entered the apartment, then she was thrust into this RFA business so quickly it made her head spin. What if Unknown was a hacker like 707? It was a possibility, though the question of why he did it still lingered in her mind. True she came out of it with a group of people to talk to and an apartment she wouldn’t be able to afford if she saved her entire life, but there was something suspicious about it all.  


The first night in the apartment was one spent hurriedly cleaning while trying to keep up with the RFA messages. They came in at odd hours, making new chat rooms and telling her their thoughts on her joining. She did the best she could to be polite to each of them, but with little sleep to go on she was beginning to grow frustrated at their alerts. The saving grace was when 707 decided to pop in to poke fun of someone or make a joke, she happily joined in on those and he seemed to like having someone to help him in his efforts. Still, he didn’t stay on long, citing work as a reason to leave before popping off to who knows where. It made her feel a bit lonely at times, especially when him leaving triggered everyone else to. She was just getting to know them, so she felt like an outcast looking in without really being able to be one of them.

 

* * *

 

She awoke the next day to a few missed calls, which she promptly ignored in order to take a quick shower. She had to call the delivery company and let them know that she wasn’t going to be living in the apartment they were sending her things to. She couldn’t tell them the address she was at, that was drilled into her head quite well during many chats the night before, so she would have to rent out a storage space for them to store all the boxes that would be arriving from her hometown. The shower was cold, she would have to ask about getting the hot water turned on later, but she made do and bundled herself in the warm from the dryer towels right after. She didn’t get dressed right away, choosing to stay in the warm towels while she washed her clothes. The tv wasn’t working, so she decided to scroll through Metube instead, looking up the infamous videos of Zen that were mentioned the night before. It wasn’t really her thing, but even she could admit he was a talented individual, she could see why Jaehee liked him enough to be his fan.

 

Her clothes were dry by the time she was done watching the last video. MC quickly slipped them on and searched through her purse for her hairbrush. Halfway through brushing her hair, her phone began to vibrate beside her.

 

“Hello Seven.” She answered around a yawn as she tugged the bristles through her locks.

 

“Hello! Defender of Justice Seven Zero Seven here!” His voice was cheerful, but quite loud, she had to pull the phone away from her ear as he spoke.

 

“How are you so hyper so early in the morning?” she grumbled as she placed her brush down.

 

“Simple! I haven’t slept yet!” She shook her head and chuckled at this, of course not. “I was actually about to head to bed. I just called to let you know that you need to tell me when you want to leave the apartment.”

 

“What? Why?” she felt her eyebrows pull together angrily as she asked the question, how could she be an adult and still have to deal with things like this?

 

“Well, the apartment is password protected and if you don’t know the password you can’t get back in… and, and you couldn’t possibly remember the sequence from one time right? And it would be lost in your chat history so you need me to open the door from here.” His explanations were quick, his voice becoming higher as he spoke.

 

“What if I do remember.” She inquired.

 

“You don’t.”

 

“Yeah. I don’t.” His tone was so serious that she felt the need to admit to it right away rather than drag out her teasing. There was something akin to a relieved sigh from his end of the phone, followed by the sound of his fingers clicking on the keyboard.

 

“Well, I just have to finish up… this… thing… finished!~” he exclaimed the last word which made her pull her phone from her ear once again. “I am going to get some shut eye now so… just don’t leave the apartment before I wake up.”

 

“But wait, I-”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“How long are you going to be asleep?” She needed to get out as soon as possible in order to secure her things.

 

“Hmm… dunno. Maybe a couple hours, maybe a day.” She sunk into the swivel chair as he spoke, his voice was already heavily laden with sleep so she knew it wouldn’t be long before he was dozing off.

 

“I really need to get out today. And I have a day job that starts the day after tomorrow.” She grumbled out her words once again.

 

“Mmmhn… Don’t worry… I’ll take care of you…” His voice was soft in her ear, she could tell that he was barely awake at this point.

 

“Seven?” She asked, then when he didn’t answer she increased her volume. “Seven?” When there was still no reply, she sighed and pressed end on the call. Her phone was placed on the table beside her as she rested her face in her hands. At the very least she should try to do it all by phone. Her chin rested in her palms as she stared at her phone. Somehow it seemed her entire life was revolving around it now. It made her feel distant, like the outside world didn’t exists to her anymore now that she was a member of the RFA. It was a lonely feeling.

 

Four phone calls, that’s what it took to secure a storage space large enough and cheap enough for her needs. But, when she called the delivery company they explained to her that her brother had already told them where to send her things. Completely confused, she asked where that would be and they responded by saying simply “Where you’re moving of course.” No matter how she tried to ask the question, she was always met with the same vague explanation. In fact, the man on the other side of the phone seemed to be confused over the fact that she was confused about the situation. She had hung up on the man quickly after that, hanging her head and digging her palms into her eyes as she let out a loud groan shortly afterwards.

 

“Where are my things!” She shouted up at no one. The sound of her own voice fading away into nothing only caused her heart to sink even more.

 

* * *

 

Saeyoung sighed as he leaned back in his computer chair. His eyes were still locked onto the screen displaying six different feeds from cameras set up around the apartment that once was Rika’s, though a torn bit of paper was carefully taped over the one in the bottom left, the one labeled ‘bathroom’. MC was growing antsy, complaining loudly about her missing things and fidgeting as she moved around the apartment. She didn’t stay in one camera’s view for long before moving on to the next and the next, eventually moving out of the view of all but the one he had covered for privacy reasons. He shifted his attention from the screen as she did this, switching the audio off on the monitor that had his attention the whole time and turning to another larger monitor to his right. He was reading through a large block of code, carefully, searching for a way to explain her even showing up in the first place. One minute she didn’t exist to them and the next minute she was just there, in the chat, taunting him with the fact that someone had hacked his carefully designed system in order to get her there.

 

Someone that wasn’t her.

 

Unknown.

 

His eyes were burning, his head felt heavy, he knew that if he didn’t lay down soon he could very well pass out at his workstation. He had to get to the bottom of this problem quickly, but he had to sleep. He could feel his mind wandering with each second that passed.

 

Movement from his left caused him to turn back to the cctv monitor. MC was out of the bathroom and with a few button clicks he could hear her shuffling around the apartment once more. However when he caught sight of her once again on the screen he felt the need to shut it off for both their sakes. She was only in a pair of light colored panties, possibly white or light pink, he couldn’t tell with the black and white feed. In her arms were a bundle of clothes that only hid her breasts for as long as she held them. It wasn’t very long because she rushed to the laundry room and shoved them into the washing machine while muttering something about toothpaste. He felt his cheeks warming as he quickly switched over to just display the feed of the front room, berating himself for watching as long as he did even as he reached inside a bag of chips and popped one in his mouth. He had to work, he couldn’t get distracted now.

 

A yawn escaped him as he tapped away at the keys. MC said that she chatted with this Unknown and that he sent her there, but so far there was no trace of that chat history within the app. He wanted to believe her, she hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary the entire time he’d been watching her and she didn’t seem to realize she was being watched. If her words were true, this Unknown person had hacked his system, had broken into his app and possibly hacked his home computers as well, considering he had to get the password to Rika’s apartment from somewhere.

 

“...So it wasn’t you. Dammit.” The sound of her voice pulled him back to the screen. She still wasn’t in veiw of the front room camera, but he could hear her just as well as if she were standing behind him. “No. No don’t tell mom I- I will figure out something.” He shifted in his seat as his current position became comfortable, the new one pinched at the back of his left side, perfect. The pain would keep him awake longer. “You better not be messing with me… no! I am not messing with you! I am upset here!” He tapped his lip with a chip for only a moment before giving into his thoughts and spending the few seconds it took him to do it to hack her phone. In just a few more keystrokes he could hear both sides of the conversation. The bag of Honey Buddha chips were pulled into his lap as he tucked his ears into his headphones and turned back to the code string he had been looking through.

 

“Well, how do you think I feel? My poor baby sister leaving town to be all on her own for the first time, and the next day she’s calling me to complain about her clothes being all gone.” Saeyoung rolled his eyes, if only this guy knew.

 

“I am more worried about my books… I can get more clothes easier than anything else.” She grumbled these words in the same way she had grumbled while on the phone with him, just another point in the ‘MC may not be lying’ column.

 

“So… What, you aren’t going to even mention where you ended up living?” He raised his eyebrows behind his glasses, was she really keeping the secret from her ‘family’? That could be taken either way, she could be good at keeping secrets or she could be good at following orders, neither was inherently a good or bad thing unless you were trying to figure out if she was safe for your organization that is.

 

“... sorry bro…” Her pauses caused him to scrunch his eyebrows together, what could they mean? “I promise, once I am able to I will explain everything okay? I am just… a little everywhere right now.”

 

“You’re always a little everywhere.” Her ‘brother’ responded around an irritated huff. “Tell me you at least did get the job and didn’t run off after some guy…”

 

“What do you take me for! I am an adult you know!”

 

“Barely.”

 

“The same can be said for you. How’s mom’s basement?”

 

“As comfy as all those teddy bears you’ve managed to lose.”

 

“Those are collectors editions!” Saeyoung tapped a few keys to take him out of the conversation at this point and yawned as he ground his palms into his eyes. His headphones were returned to their position around his neck and he pushed himself from his chair to turn to the simple bed located behind it. He had told MC that he needed to get some sleep, had almost drifted off while talking to her but her ending the call had jolted him awake. He only hoped he hadn’t said anything stupid or telling while he was drifting, that would be bad for both of them.

 

He sank into the large mattress and allowed his head to hit the pillow with a thump. His body felt like it weighed a million pounds as he reached out for his phone. Alarms were set, messages were checked. He went down the list of everything he had to do even as his eyelids grew heavier. He sank into darkness with the thin device still in his hands, the screen lighting up his face for only a few moments before going dark as well.

 

He awoke to the faint sound of an alarm going off. His body scrambled up before he was even fully mentally there and made its way to his computers without him having to think about it. One keystroke was all it took to figure out why the alarm was blaring in Rika’s apartment. It was completely empty, in the current situation he prioritized safety over politeness and removed to paper to reveal the bathroom. Once it was confirmed that MC leaving had triggered the system, he began working furiously to stop the bomb from actually going off. Seconds later he was breathing a sigh of relief and running his fingers through his hair. The bomb wasn’t a good idea on Rika’s part, but back then it was like whatever she said sounded perfect to him. Not just him either, she could get anyone in the RFA to agree fully with her point of view effortlessly, there were a lot less fights back then.

 

“What are you doing MC…” He murmured as he hacked into her phone once again to figure out where she went based on her gps. She wasn’t far away, at a large department store nearby the building. Taking a moment, he hacked into the cheap security cameras of the store and scrolled through feed after feed until he found her, looking utterly pitiful as she idly moved dresses around a rack, not really taking anything about them in. An older man stepped up to her and they began to talk. The cheap security cameras the store decided to use stopped him from hearing their conversation, but she seemed very stiff and formal throughout it. He took her hand in his by the end of it and gave it a firm shake. She pulled her phone out immediately as the man left and Saeyoung quickly turned to another monitor, which he brought a live feed of her phone up on. She was texting, the same guy she had the conversation with earlier apparently, considering how she began the conversation.

 

MC:

I just talked to him. He said I have to be at work tomorrow for orientation but he hopes my stuff gets back to me safe and sound.

 

DC:

Lol rekt. I told you that you shouldn’t go there. Bosses don’t understand.

 

MC:

Okay ass. Anyway, he did look sorta… mad, when I mentioned I may have to take another day.

 

DC:

Should’ve stayed at home.

 

MC:

Right, stay home, jobless and not moving on with my life. No thanks game freak.

 

DC:

Thanks for reminding me! :D Lolol is calling.

 

She didn’t even reply to that, choosing instead to slip her phone into her purse and run her fingers through her hair. He could see her tension in her stance, even with the poor quality of the video. She was stressed out, she needed to calm down before she snapped and did something idiotic and put the RFA in danger. He had to make sure that didn’t happen. He jumped when his phone went off, removing his head from his hands where it had been resting during his time thinking. She had decided to call him, but one look at the clock on his monitor told him that he would have only been asleep an hour or so if he went to bed when he told her he was going. With a soft sigh, he hung his head and let it go to voicemail. She didn’t leave him one. He watched as she slipped her phone once again into her purse and moved out of the view of the camera. When his phone went off once again, he glanced down to see none other than V calling him. With a grunt of aggravation, he lifted the phone up and swiftly tapped the screen to answer the call, putting it on speaker phone so he could still work as he talked.

 

“Hello.”

 

“You don’t sound like yourself.” V’s voice was groggy, the possibility he was just waking or settling down to sleep himself danced through Saeyoung’s mind.

 

“You don’t either, what do you need V?” He cracked his knuckles as he spoke then hovered his fingers over his keypad, prepared to begin as soon as the teal haired man spoke.

 

“It’s about the apartment. I got an alert a little while ago and-” V began.

 

“MC had to go talk to her boss at a store nearby it. She didn’t know what would happen if she left without punching in the code. I fixed it.” he said this all quickly as he switched from the now boring department store to a feed of live traffic cams, a background facial recognition program running to help the traffic cams switch automatically when she moved between them. It wasn’t hard to find her in the first place. She was a block away from the store, squatted down to pet a kitten abandoned in a wooden box by the sidewalk. He felt his lips pull into a smile at the sight, she really was a sweet girl.

 

“...and we cant be too willing to trust her right away. I am still considering it myself, I’ll let you know in a couple of days so just keep sending me everything you have on her. I will come to my decision before I leave for my trip.” V’s words cut into his thoughts and he rolled his eyes at them. If the other man could see what he had seen- the image of her in only a pair of panties flashed through his mind at the thought and he hit himself in the forehead with his palm, grinding it in to the now sore skin there.

 

“I’m on it, no worries.” He replied simply.

 

“Good. And Seven…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Don’t forget to get some sleep. Your health’s important too.”

  
“Yeah.” Saeyoung sighed as he heard the tell tale sound of V disconnecting from the call. He waited a few moments before locking his phone and turning back to his work. He was supposed to be actually gathering intel on her life before the night she joined the RFA after all, not watching over her like some messed up version of a guardian angel who could do very little indeed to actually guard her at all. _She can’t be trusted yet…_ repeated in his mind like a mantra as he worked. V couldn’t fully trust her so the RFA couldn’t fully trust her, thus he, 707, the hacker that she had somehow bypassed, couldn’t fully trust her either. He ground his palms into his eyes as her school history flashed up on his screen. She went to college and studied literature and early childhood development. Her social media pages also showed that even from years back she wanted to be a teacher. She hadn’t left any trolling comments on anyone else’s posts and she even published a paper on the rights and freedoms of reading to some blog site that only landed her ten views. All ten were probably her correcting mistakes after posting as well if the solitary comment was anything to go off of, a simple apology for a misspelling in the third paragraph. Despite himself, he left an anonymous like on the post. It deserved it.


End file.
